Russia's Medvedev raps ruling party over elections

ST PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) - President Dmitry Medvedev on Saturday criticized regional officials in Russia's ruling party for failing to ensure fully democratic local elections last month.

"The party must always be modern so as not to grow old, not to become removed from life, from its own electorate," Medvedev told a United Russia party congress in the city of St Petersburg.

"Unfortunately, some regional branches of both United Russia and other parties,... show that very backwardness... Elections supposed to be the expression of the people's will as a result are sometimes turned into affairs where democratic procedures are mixed up with administrative ones."

United Russia, headed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, crushed opposition parties in the elections, held across much of Russia in October. The opposition said the elections were marred by numerous violations but the election commission dismissed protests.

(Reporting by Denis Dyomkin, writing by Guy Faulconbridge, editing by Michael Stott)